Dispensing package for rolled plastic wrap



W- 10, 1964 A. 1.. M CONNELL DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR ROLLED PLASTIC WRAP Filed Oct. 8, 1962 INVENTOR. ALBERT L. McCONNELL ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,156,356 DISPENSING PACKAGE FOR ROLLED PLASTIC WRAP Albert L. McConnell, Sproul Estates, Chester, Pa., as-

signor to Scott Paper Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 229,004 3 Claims. (Cl. 20658) The present invention relates to dispensing packages of rolled Wrapping materials and more particularly to an improved carton for holding a roll of plastic filmor sheet material intended for kitchen and household uses.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a box from which the dispensing of a single roll of plastic film wrapping material may be effected efficiently and with a minimum of difliculty.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dispensing carton for plastic film material in roll form having an integrated retaining member so disposed as to retard accidental rotation of said roll.

A further object of my invention is to provide for rolled plastic film material a carton having an integrated tab element projecting inwardly thereof and underlying the leading edge of the plastic film to prevent return thereof to the roll per se and integration with the plastic in the roll.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein FIG- URE 1 is a perspective View of a dispensing carton embodying the features of this invention and FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

Briefly stated, the present invention comprises a carton of conventional rectangular configuration including a cover with a dependent front panel extending over the front wall of the carton to create a slot through which plastic sheet material is dispensed from a supply roll contained within the carton and an integrated tab element in the front wall of the container movable into the interior of the container to rest upon the roll of plastic, thus controlling rotation thereof and the feed of plastic film therefrom.

Referring to the drawing, the dispensing package It) of the invention is of a generally rectangular configuration and is formed of cardboard or comparable material with side walls 11 and 12 and end walls 13 and a bottom 14 folded and united by stapling or gluing through flaps, tabs or the like as is conventional to the art. The carton further includes a cover section, preferably as an integral part thereof, including a top wall 15 and a dependent front panel 16 which projects downwardly to extend over the side wall 11, thus forming a slot 17 through which the plastic film disposed in the carton may be dispensed. A tear blade or cutter strip 18 is secured in any desired manner to the leading edge of the front panel 16 and assists in the separation of the plastic film into usable lengths. As the method of shaping the carton 10 forms no part of the present invention, a more detailed description thereof is considered to be unnecessary.

3,1553% Patented Nov. 10, 1964 Carried within the carton 10 is a roll 20 of plastic film wrap, polyethylene sheeting for example of from 0.5 to 3 mm. in thickness, the leading end 21 of which is directed from the package through the dispensing slot 17 as it is extracted for use. Customarily, the abutting relationship of the side wall 11 and front panel 16 will prevent dislodgement of the free edge of plastic material retained in the slot 17 after removal of a length of such material from the carton. It is, however, entirely possible that this free edge of the plastic material Will escape from the dispensing slot, falling back into the carton and because of the blocking nature of the plastic wrap will merge into the roll so that the free end of the roll can be located again only with difliculty. To insure against loss of the free end of the plastic wrap, a tab section 25 of the side Wall 11 outlined by perforations 26, so that it may be separated readily from the side wall and directed inwardly of the container, is reflexly turned upon a line 27 so that its terminal portion will rest yieldably upon the periphery of the roll 20 and serve to restrain said roll again accidental rotation as the container is being handled. The inherent resilience of the cardboard forming the side wall of the container insures proper following and maintenance of a light pressure upon the periphery of the roll 20 as its dimen sions decrease with depletion of the supply of plastic material therein. Of course, if it is desired, reinforcement of the areas around the line 27 may be supplied to prevent creasing of the cardboard at this point and loss of resiliency in the tab section. The tab section 25 also is of sufficient length that in its reflexed position it will extend into close proximity with the strip of plastic material which is being dispensed from the roll 20, and underlying said strip will maintain separation thereof from the supply roll.

It will be evident that the dispensing container hereinbefore described, may if necessary or desirable as required by the length of the roll of plastic material contained therein, be provided with a plurality of the tab sections 25 and in fact, tabs disposed in spaced relation adjacent the ends of the container will assist in a smooth and uniform removal of the plastic film from the storage roll.

The dispensing carton for plastic film Wrap, at time of purchase is generally sealed and the user must prepare the package for dispensing by freeing the cover, releasing the end of the film material from the supply roll and drawing it over the side wall of the box, at the same time freeing the tab section and placing it into operative position upon the supply roll. The cover is then lowered into position.

It will be evident that the dispensing container herein described, retains the advantages of simplicity and low cost while its effectiveness had been greatly improved. The carton per se can be fabricated substantally in the manner of conventional cardboard receptacles requiring only a modification in one panel in order that the retaining element or tab section can be derived therefrom.

What I claim is:

1. A carton for containing and dispensing a roll of plastic film material, said carton comprising a receptacle of generally rectangular configuration, having a cover with a dependent front panel extending over the front wall of the receptacle to form a passage through which the plastic film material travels in dispensing, and an integrated tab element in the front wall of said receptacle and releasable therefrom, said releasable tab element forming a part of said front wall and being partially separable from said front wall without substantially diminishing the structural rigidity of said front wall, said element being movable into the interior of the carton and reflexly turned to rest upon the periphery of said plastic roll, said tab element acting in resilient opposition to said roll, with the edge of said tab element originally disposed toward the bottom of said carton, being related to said roll in the direction counter to which said film is removed from said roll and being situated between said roll and the unwound film.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,507,403 Gluck May 9, 1950 2,870,949 Currivan Jan. 27, 1959 2,890,822 Lee et al. June 16, 1959 

1. A CARTON FOR CONTAINING AND DISPENSING A ROLL OF PLASTIC FILM MATERIAL, SAID CARTON COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION, HAVING A COVER WITH A DEPENDENT FRONT PANEL EXTENDING OVER THE FRONT WALL OF THE RECEPTACLE TO FORM A PASSAGE THROUGH WHICH THE PLASTIC FILM MATERIAL TRAVELS IN DISPENSING, AND AN INTEGRATED TAB ELEMENT IN THE FRONT WALL OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND RELEASABLE THEREFROM, SAID RELEASABLE TAB ELEMENT FORMING A PART OF SAID FRONT WALL AND BEING PARTIALLY SEPARABLE FROM SAID FRONT WALL WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY DIMINISHING THE STRUCTURAL RIGIDITY OF SAID FRONT WALL, SAID ELEMENT BEING MOVABLE INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE CARTON AND REFLEXLY TURNED TO REST UPON THE PERIPHERY OF SAID PLASTIC ROLL, SAID TAB ELEMENT ACTING IN RESILIENT OPPOSITION TO SAID ROLL, WITH THE EDGE OF SAID TAB ELEMENT ORIGINALLY DISPOSED TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF SAID CARTON, BEING RELATED TO SAID ROLL IN THE DIRECTION COUNTER TO WHICH SAID FILM IS REMOVED FROM SAID ROLL AND BEING SITUATED BETWEEN SAID ROLL AND THE UNWOUND FILM. 